615 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

## Chapter 615: Bi Ah's Reflection Sometimes, though rarely, these memories come to mind. Around the time when I had just crossed the age of majority. Yes, precisely the age I am now. A memory of when I could only breathe and survive in the demon realm. "I told you you're slow when it comes to following!" He said, looking down at me as I struggled to catch my breath. Damn it. "Ha... I have to keep up to... ha... follow... you lunatic." I could barely speak. That's how exhausted I was. Watching me, Woo Hyuk laughed and said, "Just now, you died three times." Once when my neck got sliced in the first exchange. A second time when I got caught by an illusion on the third exchange. And the last was when I failed, ramming headlong. This meant that every attempt I made ended in failure. "Why kill me three times? Once should be enough. Damn it." "Think before you fight!" "I am thinking, you jerk." "Don't you remember almost getting eaten last time because you charged recklessly?" Of course, I remembered. It was crystal clear. I would have been crushed and ground into bits had it not been for Little Sword Star and Woo Hyuk saving me. "...Embarrassing, damn it. You should have just let me die there." I sighed in frustration, and immediately, Woo Hyuk flicked my forehead with a strong thud. Thud-! The impact made my head spin a bit. "You crazy...!" "Life isn't something you throw away lightly." I was about to retort when Woo Hyuk's words forced me to pause. His eyes were unnecessarily serious. "I keep telling you, stop throwing things away just because they don't work." I couldn't understand it. If there are no other means, ramming against it seemed the only option. Moreover, "My life isn't precious." Why hold something as trivial as my life dear? So many lives, more precious than mine, have been lost in this world. I haven't exactly lived a righteous life to treasure someone like myself. His words made no sense to me. Perhaps those feelings showed on my face. Woo Hyuk sighed and said, "Hold back your temper." "This is how I live, killing and surviving." I meant it sincerely, but Woo Hyuk's expression soured instantly. This bastard...? "See? You were about to get angry again." "It's because of your damn expression." "People can have a lousy expression sometimes. Does that mean you should get angry right off?" "If I suppress it, I'll die from a rage-induced illness." "Well, since you're already a rage-induced illness incarnate, you'll probably... Sorry, put your hand down. I apologized within three seconds." I ground my teeth, resisting. He wasn't someone who could be hit by a punch. And attacking rashly would only get me beaten. "Please, just endure it three times, no matter what happens. Then you'll survive." It was hard to bear once, let alone three times. At the time, it seemed insane. In reality, even with those words, I rarely held back. Even until the day Woo Hyuk died. Now, as I live on, following his advice, I occasionally doubt. Treasuring life or not throwing life away carelessly. Such words. 'At least.' I didn't think those words should come from Woo Hyuk. Living a life of giving up, I could tell. Woo Hyuk's eyes, advising me to live, were actually dead. Woo Hyuk lived, throwing away his life no less than I did. The only difference was, 'I threw mine away recklessly. He burned his own life, saving others.' My life wasn't precious. Thus, I thought I'd live and die as I please. That was me. My life wasn't precious. So, I'd use it to save others. That was Woo Hyuk. While many aspects seemed similar, We were quite different. That's why I'm puzzled. Even if I lived wretchedly, Why did you, with the blessing of Wudang and societal focus, have such hollow eyes? And also, 'Why do you feel a sense of kinship with me?' Why did you reach out to someone clueless like me and choose to be friends? These are questions I'll never know since Woo Hyuk is gone. However, now, living in the present, I've realized, 'In the end, you were right.' I was wrong. Woo Hyuk was right. Treasure life. Don't throw away your life carelessly. Perhaps that wasn't exactly what Woo Hyuk meant, But now I can see that my life holds a certain value. Even if that value is, Thunk-! 'Not for a life meant for myself.' Whoosh-! The Daoist energy of Wudang. Its unique clarity and purity blend into the flow to enhance its strength. Wudang's defense isn't unbreakable. It patiently lets things flow, regardless of the circumstances. Movements that seem leisurely yet swift. Thump-! With weight pressing down on the tip of my moved foot. The sword flows. That’s the best way to describe it. Clear and beautiful. More so than the swords of the elders I encountered in Wudang. Detaching from thoughts, in emptiness, merely flowing, Woo Hyuk's sword embodied the spirit of Wudang. Slit-! The tip of the sword grazed my cheek. Blood splattered. Sensing it, I laughed. 'This bastard.' Everyone's turning into monsters after just a few years apart. Woo Hyuk had already surpassed the wall. Initially, he was at the pinnacle. When we parted, he was at a mature pinnacle. Now, he was verging on transcendence. While he hadn't completely crossed it yet, it wouldn't take long for him to surpass it. 'Unbelievable.' It's frustrating. In my previous life, it didn't seem this fast. Tang So-Yeol and Yeong Poong too. Somehow, the growth speed of the later rising stars feels different. 'Some of us are barely holding on by taking in all sorts of serendipity and insight.' I don't know where they keep acquiring enlightenment from. Shwoosh-! I switched footwork. Stepped back half a step. The sword brushed past my neck at that moment. By the time I sent my gaze, the sword was already retracted. It had withdrawn due to failure. Whoosh-! Heat rose in my eyes, and my heart rate quickened. ## The Awakening of Insight I opened my eyes to insight. Fwoosh-! Countless threads of light emanated from Woo Hyuk's body. At the same time, stars poured down from the tip of his flowing sword. The stars were traces left by the sword. They were so abundant, it resembled the night sky. He had grown stronger. Seeing it hit home for me. But. Fortunately, I was still stronger. "Gathering Flame Wheel Fang (俱炎態輪牙)." Fwoosh--!! The blue flame that erupted from my body quickly enveloped the surroundings. A fiery storm consumed everything in its path. "...!" Upon seeing this, Woo Hyuk hesitated and distanced himself. He was gauging the range of the flames with his eyes. Watching him, I altered the flow of my energy. "Improvement." There were times when I modified martial arts to suit my tastes. That is the source of my current power. Gathering Flame Wheel Conversion (俱炎態輪化). Whoooosh---!! The massive ring of flames flowing through my body gradually changed shape. Divided into dozens, then hundreds of smaller flames. Flames ripped and shredded, gradually becoming sharp. Yes, they completed their transformation into arrowheads. Woo Hyuk widened his eyes at this sight. The sheer volume of flames was enough to obstruct his view. Looking at him, I lowered my fingertip. Instantly. Whoooom---!!! Countless fireballs hanging in the air rained down upon Woo Hyuk. Boom! Boom! Boom! An enormous explosion erupted across the snowy field. Flames burst, energy scattered in all directions. With every pulse, my heart raced fiercely. "Tch..." My energy was lacking. The energy depleted last time hadn't fully recovered. That's the reason. Fwoosh-! The reason Woo Hyuk could withstand like that. Swish---!! Fwoosh---!!! An incredibly fast sword. Countless branches of strong qi blocked all the flames. They slashed through the air repeatedly. The marks left formed a circular shield. Bang--!! As if leaving nothing to chance, they deflected all the flames. It was an eerie speed and precision. "Wow." Watching it, a premonition hit me. If the world truly finds peace, If we're able to prevent bloodshed from spreading, "The next Sword King competition is going to be fierce." I felt that whoever inherits the title of Sword King from Nam Goong Jin will be especially powerful. Whether it's Yeong Poong, Seong Yool, Woo Hyuk, or anyone else, it seemed it would be quite a spectacle. Thinking about it, Whoosh-! I dove towards Woo Hyuk. "...!" In the midst of blocking flames, Woo Hyuk turned his gaze to me charging forward. Swish-! The speed of his swinging sword increased. This deepened the barrier. Was he making sure I couldn't easily approach? Not a bad choice. After all, he had to block the flames too. "But." - Even among those rapid sword paths, there must be gaps. The insight I learned from the Monarch of Destruction spoke to me. My eyes burned hot. A faint light glimmered in the distant gap of sword paths. There it was. In the chaotic display of sword blades. Without hesitation, I reached out. Then. Grab-! “Gah!” My hand broke through the barrier, clenching Woo Hyuk's throat. And pulled him out. Whoooosh---!!! The descending flames swept the ground. Boom! Boom! Only 'us' were spared. The flames, pouring down for quite a while, stopped. Amidst the thick billowing smoke, I lifted Woo Hyuk, whom I was holding. "Hey." “Cough...” Woo Hyuk gasped for breath. He didn’t appear to be in the best condition. While he didn't seem to suffer any mortal wounds. It seemed he couldn’t block all the flames and got hit several times. “Does it hurt?” I asked nonchalantly, to which Woo Hyuk replied with a raspy voice. “...Hu...hu... It hurts... quite a lot.” "You just died over three times to me in this fight." I said, finding it amusing. Because it was something Woo Hyuk once said to me. "...I know. I know it well." Woo Hyuk laughed at my words. Back then, I couldn't laugh. "...As expected, you're strong. Much stronger than before." “Hearing that from you pricks at what's left of my conscience.” This guy was a true genius. Every time I heard words like that from such people, my leftover conscience pained slightly. But anyway. “Why did you do this?” “...” “It's fine. In life, you might lead a rebellion. That happens, right?” If something didn't please you, you might as well overturn a country. That much I could understand. But. “You shouldn't be the one to stop me.” Woo Hyuk brought his sword to genuinely fight me. “If you do that, it'll cost your life. You know that, right?” Did he think he could defeat me? No, Woo Hyuk wouldn't think that. Then did he think I wouldn't be able to kill him? ‘That’s half correct.’ He was right. I couldn't kill Woo Hyuk. Not only did I consider him a friend, But Woo Hyuk was also someone too valuable to kill. However. ‘But that’s only.’ When Woo Hyuk was ‘Woo Hyuk’ to me. The guy who tried to protect the pathetic me. The guy who, amidst countless situations, held an inexplicable conviction. At the very least, someone who wouldn't block my path. That was who I thought Woo Hyuk was. Yet. ‘Are you still Woo Hyuk now?’ Or are you merely some fool going by the name Bi Ah? Even if you are the same person, it doesn’t mean you're the same to me. “Tell me. Why are you doing this?” So I asked. I asked, looking into Woo Hyuk’s eyes. “...” Once again, Woo Hyuk remained silent. He merely stared at me. ‘Hmm.’ I thought of saying more, but held my tongue. The eyes Woo Hyuk had now. Those eyes were too familiar. Eyes I felt I had seen somewhere before. I pondered for a moment, soon realizing. ‘Ah.’ Yes, those eyes. I remembered where I had seen them. ‘They’re like mine.’ The eyes I once had in my previous life. Though they seemed slightly clearer now. This means, ‘Should I kill him?’ Suggesting his condition was not ideal. He was barely holding onto his broken spirit, having given up everything. ## Is It a Meaningful Act? Does it really matter? Was it already too late for Woo Hyuk? With these thoughts brushing through my mind, Grip tightens--! My hand squeezed tighter. But then. [Hold back three times.] "..." Those cursed words echoed in my ears. "Tch." Whoosh-! I flung Woo Hyuk aside. Thud-! Roll, roll. "Ugh...!" Woo Hyuk rolled powerlessly in the snow. Unable to properly catch himself with qi, the ground was marked with many tracks. Watching him, I spoke. "Get out of here. I'll let it go this time." Leaving that message for Woo Hyuk to disappear, I turned to head toward Nam Goong Bi Ah's direction. Rustle. Hearing an approaching presence, I turned around. There, Woo Hyuk was rising to his feet again. I wished that was the end of it. But. Swoosh. He once again pointed his sword at me. I had to hold my brow to keep from reacting. So, he wasn’t going to let this slide so easily. Is that it? "...You'll really die. Stop now." I warned, conveying the seriousness behind the words. "Just kill me." Woo Hyuk replied adamantly. "I can't let you go there. So kill me instead." Sigh. I restrained my energy with a curse. "You stubborn bastard." So it seems I have no other choice. In that case. "Fine then. Go ahead and die." It seemed like there was only one way forward. I moved. Woo Hyuk leapt toward me simultaneously. The tip of his sword was sharp, meaning he was resolved to use it without hesitation. His intent was clear. Seeing this, I wrapped flames around my palm. Flame Jewel (炎鈺). A blue jeweled flame formed in my hand. Fshh-! A substantial amount of energy seeped out. I meant to finish it in one go as well. I charged at Woo Hyuk with the Flame Jewel in tow. He forced his staggering sword upright as he lunged at me. The killing intent wrapped around the tip of his sword. At that, I swung my hand, sending the Flame Jewel toward Woo Hyuk. Just before we reached each other, I could see it. Woo Hyuk's sword, coming toward me, Slackening... The moment before it touched, his strength waned. I thought as I saw. 'Yes.' I wasn't surprised. 'I knew it.' Since I knew it from the start. Seeing this, just before the Flame Jewel touched Woo Hyuk, Swish-! I retrieved the jewel’s energy, pulling it back. "What...?" As Woo Hyuk looked, startled, Stab-! I grabbed his sword and pulled it into my body. Squish-! A chilling sound emerged from within my stomach. "...!!" The blade penetrated my skin. Blood flowed from my wound, dripping down the blade. "Aah...!!" Woo Hyuk widened his eyes, seemingly panicked by what had happened. As he hurriedly tried to pull the sword out, Strain--!! I held onto it tightly, preventing its removal. "You...!" "Three times." I cut off Woo Hyuk's words. "I held back three times, but this time I held back about four. Isn’t that impressive?" Woo Hyuk's eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment over what he didn't yet understand. Watching him, I said. "I’ve been through this, you know..." Even as blood continued to drip from my lips, I smirked at Woo Hyuk and continued. "This method really snaps you back to your senses." This was from my past life. It was an experience I'd directly gone through with my father.